Hello! Sneaking in a little YLF time in between movie marathon with DH, since one of my resolutions is to reconnect with this forum. This is one of my recent "activewear" outfits, which I wore riding my bicycle. As you can see, as much as I enjoy the comfort of activewear, I kind of feel conspicuous in a full Activewear Suit.

On a bit of a tangent, I just... preordered the PN coaching program that Suz and others have had such success with. *gulp* I'm terrified of spending on that when I'm so terrible at workout plans, but I have savings and a cash flow, so the little voice inside my head said it would be easier to learn new habits sooner rather than later. o_0 Plus my metabolism has clearly changed and I am in need of a coach. My hope is that by sharing this here I will be accountable to yet another group...

So there you go. I see a lot more clothes doing double duty, and a lot of flea market finds headed toward Ebay in my future.

23 Comments

Joy replied 3 years ago

The year I resolved to go to daily mass, it meant going to bed early to be up and in the pew by 6:45 am. That was life changing in many ways.

catgirl replied 3 years ago

So impressed with you! I have considered Suz's program as well but haven't educated myself enough about it. Not to be facetious but my NY resolutions were to drink and curse more. Can't go wrong either way. :)

You look fantastic, and presentable should you decide to stop for a cup of coffee or at a bookstore. Because of our climate I need my gear to be Gear, but I love the duality of Zella or Athleta's recent offerings, which can go many places inconspicuously.

Sveta replied 3 years ago

Your activewear looks like sporty luxe to me. Love the plaid shirt here!I just finished this PN program. It was good in many ways for me - in establishing good habits and getting in shape of course. I only find that the whole year is a bit too long - especially if you do not have a lot of weight to lose. I think it would have worked better for me with 6 to 8 months compared to the whole year..Also there is one thing I did not realize before: it is that losing weight means you lose it everywhere - even where you don't want to. There is no way to control it and the results may be mixed. For me it was the face - I think it is thinner now that I would have liked it to be and therefore looks older. This was the biggest negative thing for me from that program - and I did not lose a whole lot of weight really, about 20 lbl. However you are much younger than I am so maybe it won't be a problem for you at all.

Beth Ann replied 3 years ago

We're a cycling family. DH started road cycling when we lived in LA. I chose a mountain bike for my first ride, and, on the 4th ride out, we road from Alhambra to the beach -- using the trail alongside the aqueduct. 54 miles on an Easter Sunday. Yeah, I finished that day off with some serious Easter candy!

Riding and hiking make me feel so free, and I'd love to be in a climate like yours that didn't require serious bundling!

I have to ride wearing shorts with a real chamois insert -- at least anything over 20 miles. Sugoi is by far my favorite brand. I almost always cycle with gear shorts at least, but I do have a wrap skirt on my list -- to cover up when I stop at a bagel shop.

As for resolutions....... I'm still in denial!

rae replied 3 years ago

Joy, wow, that is dedication for a worthy cause. :) I don't think I've gotten up that early for anything save a flight since high school.

Una, the funny thing is that I would happily wear plenty of Cold Weather Gear, except we don't get enough Cold. Part of it may be how lumpy I look in spandex right now... o_0 I have been on the PN mailing list for probably over a year now. Good tips there also, and I thought that maybe I could kind of DIY it for a time just by reading. I finally realized how much past coaches have helped me with athletic and academic competition, though, and that finally sold me.

Sveta, thank you for chiming in! I am surprised you didn't lose more with how tall you are, but I am thinking you have built good lean muscle. I am currently about 30 lbs above what I would like to be, based on my college weight. What you mention about how you can't control where you lose was a big consideration for me, too, although I was more worried about having loose skin if I wait too long to get fit.

Beth Ann, WOW. 54 miles sounds like forever to me! I am so impressed. And I totally understand the need for gear shorts and an insert... ouch. lol. I wish we had more bike paths that were separate from the road. I did not grow up riding bikes, so I am still fairly nervous about riding near traffic/past driveways/around pedestrians...

catgirl replied 3 years ago

Rae, remember to think in more than just weight. At only 5 pounds less than now, I was easily 2 sizes smaller and much more fit with solid muscle. Sigh. I'd rather weigh more if I could look better, honestly.

rae replied 3 years ago

Agreed. I am excited to know how I look with lean muscle one day. I went from a hulkish gymnast body to plain ol' skinny to increasingly squishy. o_0

fuzzylogic replied 3 years ago

I like this- functional for activity without looking like you are in a competition.

I agree with AG- tone and shape over weight. All the best with the new coaching program!

My NY resolutions this year (and for the foreseeable future) were to eat well, drink well and, um, love well. All going well so far but it is only day 8! Tehehehe! Next year I might add cuss well (thanks, AG!!!).

Diane G replied 3 years ago

Your outfit looks great! As Una said, appropriate, should you wish to stop on the way home too.

Re- Sveta's comment about losing weight all over. I fear at my age, I may have to choose between face or butt!

Karie replied 3 years ago

You look great. I only dream of going out on the bike these days - it was 6 degrees F yesterday with a wind chill of -15. Brrrrr...

What is the PN coaching program? I missed that post. I generally don't make NYs resolutions as I never keep them, except one - I joined a gym 8 years ago and have been going ever since, 2 or 3 times a week at least. Last year I tried doing the Whole 30 eating thing and lasted a day and a half. I'd like to try it again, or at least no gluten as I'd like to banish this belly I've got.

gryffin replied 3 years ago

Second Karie's request - what is PN coaching? I'm usually a treadmill or workout tape girl. But I've been looking for a more complete workout. I've been vegetarian for 25 yrs, but 5 yr ago, after reading Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live, I went vegan and have been eating a whole food plant based nutirtarian diet ever since. I think I finally have a good repertoire of recipes (high learning curve for those of us who love to cook!) but I'd love to focus on broadening exercise this year! Kudos to you Rae for upping your game. Can't wait to hear more about it! (PS my workout capsule needs major updating - so I'll be watching!!)

gryffin replied 3 years ago

oohh I just googled is this a nutrition program rae? sounded like exercise!!

viva replied 3 years ago

Rae, it's always so great to see you. I've been absent for a while and am trying to connect more on the forum, so I hope to see more of you. Love to hear that you have positive cash flow, which must mean your styling business has taken off. Fantastic news.

Good luck with that program! I've found that investing in something like that can really help with commitment. I hope it works for you.

Janet replied 3 years ago

I agree that you look sporty luxe here! I'm really glad to see you back. :-) When I cycle, I'm in full-out gear. Chamois shorts if I'm doing more than 20 miles or so. But right now it is 1 degree here and my driveway is covered in ice, so no biking for me. I'm thinking of getting a trainer stand for my bike so I can get some indoor miles in the cold months while I binge watch Orphan Black or something. ;-) But I hear you on wanting to get back in shape -- I rode that century bike ride back in the fall, and didn't entirely slack off after that, but since the beginning of November, I've definitely suffered from some not-so-great eating habits, combined with a lower activity level, so I'm feeling a bit fluffy myself. I don't even weigh myself, but I'm pretty sure I'm about 10 lbs over where I'd prefer to be -- I feel it in my clothes. Weird thing is, I'm starting to see weight gain in places it didn't fall in the past. I suppose I'm lucky I've made it almost to 50 before seeing my waist start to get squishy. Sigh! At any rate, I wish you well with your fitness goals, and I'm right there with you in making the effort!

catgirl replied 3 years ago

"Eat to Live" did wonders for me, although I didn't follow it religiously, because honestly I could not live entirely without meat or Thai curry. But it was designed for gastric bypass candidates, not people wanting to lose "a few" pounds - so I just made some dietary changes per the recommendations and saw real change, plus felt great.

shedev replied 3 years ago

I love gear that crosses over. It makes my sporty side sing.

Sara L. replied 3 years ago

I think your gear looks great. The plaid shirt makes it look less gear-y. I hate to wear gear except when actually working out. I was surprised when we went to San Diego a few months ago how many women wore full gear outfits to go to places like Sea World and Legoland. Definitely not my style.

I've gained a few pounds recently due to the holidays and got a Fitbit Zip that I wear on my bra. It has been illuminating how little activity I do on a normal work day. It's definitely giving me incentive to exercise more even if it's just taking the dog for a walk around the block.

rachylou replied 3 years ago

Definitely a cute run-around outfit. It's too cold for me to show my ankles yet, tho! I can't believe how warm and sunny it looks where you are :)

And yes, what's PN?

I made no New Year's resolutions. That's in the middle of the Christmas season to me and doesn't feel like a beginning. I've never been able to make overt resolutions, in any case. Learning that was life changing. I have to sneak things in on myself. Like sneaking vegetables into your kids' food. Eggplant pizza topping anyone? :D

harmonica replied 3 years ago

Love your active wear look! I think sometimes you need to invest to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Keep posting and you'll get support and motivation here. Very happy to "see" you again. :-)

rae replied 3 years ago

For those who asked, PN stands for Precision Nutrition, and it is a combo of nutritional and workout coaching. Specifically, they aim to really build habits that stick so that you don't revert to bad choices after the program. I am definitely a creature of habit and find it difficult to break out of certain ones, so this sounds great for me. Everything is custom, too, so your coach can help with your specific goals and difficulties. Coaching begins the 19th! Thanks so much for all the interest and support; it really has me pumped up!

Suz replied 3 years ago

Hey, all - I am sorry I didn't see this earlier, Rae! And good luck with the program -- I hope it goes well for you!

Not only was I a client, I also volunteered for a year and then worked for PN for three years. I have just finished up with them, although I will still probably contract with them from time to time. So I am obviously not unbiased. But I think it is an excellent program. I lost 35 pounds and kept it off (well, all except the 5 I gained in the past two months when I could not exercise due to illness and surgery) and have learned to enjoy exercise for the first time in my life.

There is nothing fancy or novel about the nutritional habits -- this is stuff we all know. Eat whole foods, eat more plants, eat enough lean protein, don't eat too much, eat slowly. But the habits are introduced slowly so you can adopt them in a gradual way (where you are not already doing them) and this allows you to assimilate them more thoroughly and to stop the all-or-nothing thinking.

I should note that my own issues were more with exercise than with eating; I already ate a pretty healthy diet even before the program. But I definitely cut down on processed carbs and that made a big difference.

Sveta's point about the length of the program is interesting. When I did it, it was 6 months long and people clamoured for it to be longer so they extended it! I think for many people, somewhere around 8 months might be ideal. But then again we also have many who have over 100 pounds to lose and the length is very helpful to them; they often sign on for a second round. As do many others, even if they don't have more weight to lose -- they end up enjoying the community and the accountability.

Good luck, Rae, and keep me posted how it goes!

Sharon replied 3 years ago

Way to go, Rae. PN changed my life, without a doubt. The best thing I have ever done for my health. Hope you have a great year!

replied 3 years ago

I bought the PN Nutrition Guide instead of signing up for the program. Had it been less costly, I may have done it, but in addition to a gym membership, it's incredibly expensive. I was also one who wished for a shorter program and had that been an option, I would likely have signed up. I'm finding the Guide/binder very interesting and informative.

My resolutions for the year are indeed "lifestyle" changing in that my day is completely different now. I'm committed to being in bed and lights out by 10 pm, and to eliminating alcohol during the week. I was ready for a lifestyle change, and I feel well equipped and well underway.

Good luck with your PN program - and I hope you get what you need from it.

About

I'm just your average working stiff who loves nice things and hates to pay for them. This blog outlines my efforts to navigate that treacherous shopping/saving divide through swappin', thriftin', and even a little resellin'. Many of the pieces in my wardrobe cost me just $1! We've heard a lot about people "living above their means" in recent years; I'm championing the concept of living large *below* your means - whatever that means for you. :)

lookfab.com was inspired by the members of the youlookfab forum, who share our belief that style is beyond shape, size, age and budget, and above all, that fashion should be fun!